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UNIT 8 Management Of Projects

UNIT
8 Management Of Projects

Projects and
Project ManagementOrganizational leaders are facing complex challenges through
a rapid rate of change in both the technology and government which has then
created pressure in new and existing organizations. As a result, the
traditional structure for managing is giving way to a new form of management
(Kerzner, 2003). This form is project management. How can this be? Projects
have been around since the building of the pyramids (Dobson, 2003).

In 2650 B.C., the step pyramid was built by Imhotep for the pharaoh Zoser in
Egypt. The building of Stonehenge occurred about 150 years later. In another
2,500 years, the Mayans began building pyramids throughout Central America.
These were the very first projects in history. The builders of these structures
used simple tools and did not have paper or software programs (Lewis, 1995).

The beginning of project management as a discipline began in the 1950Â’s and
1960Â’s in the United States but was not generally accepted until today. The
purpose of this initial lecture is to help you in:1.Recognizing projects.

2.Developing an understanding of project management.

3.Recognizing the project management process.

This lecture will support these objectives by providing you with definitions,
examples and descriptions of projects and project management. Additionally, the
lecture will conclude with a brief description of the project management
process.

ProjectsIn business today, there are many types of projects with endless
possibilities. A project can be:Developing a new product or service.

Implementing a new business process.

Developing a marketing plan.

Completing an assignment.

According to Lewis (1995:2) a project is: Â“a one-time job that has definite
starting and ending points, clearly defined objectives, scope and (usually) a
budget.Â” The key words in this definition are underlined to aid you in
differentiating between a project and a repetitive process or operation such as
order processing or production. Operations and projects share characteristics.
They are both:Performed by people.

Constrained by limited resources.

Planned, executed and controlled (PMI, 2000:4-5).

However, a project can be differentiating from an operation by its distinctive
characteristics. As the Project Management Institute (2000: 4-5) explains: Â“a
project is a temporary endeavor to create a unique product or service.Â” In
this definition, temporary refers to the definite beginning and end while
unique refer to the difference of the project from others. For seemingly
repetitive actives like building houses from the same blueprint that are always
unique features and problems. For example, the climate may vary or there could
be special restrictions for zoning.

Another view of a project is provided by (Kerzner, 2000:2) as a series of tasks
that:Have a specified objective to be completed within certain specifications.

Are multifunctional (they cut across functional lines such as marketing,
design, development, production and so forth).

Project ReviewA project is a one-time job. This is:Temporary.

Unique.

With a clear start & finish.

Consuming resources (human and nonhuman)Budgeted, if appropriate.

Multifunctional (cuts across different functions).

A quality expert, Dr. J.M. Juran, defines a project as a problem scheduled for
solution. From this perspective, a project is conducted to solve a problem for
an organization. The problem(s) are solved by project work teams and the
project manager (Lewis, 1995).

Project ManagementThe best way to learn about project management is to
understand what it is not. Project Management is not software and it is not
just scheduling (Lewis, 1995). Project management has two aspects (Heerkins,
2002: 6):The art Â– leading people on a project.

The science Â– defining and coordinating the work to be done.

According to Lewis (1995:4-5), project management is the: Â“planning,
scheduling, controlling of project activates to achieve performance, cost, and
time objectives for a given scope of work using resources efficiently and
effectively.Â” As a project manager you will always manage competing demands
for people, money and time to meet specified project goals and requirements.
Sound tough? It can be. It can also be challenging and help you to develop your
management skills. There are both ProÂ’s and ConÂ’s of being a project manager
(Heerkins, 2002: 3).

ProÂ’sIt can be a steeping stone to promotion.

It provides a strong sense of accomplishment.

ThereÂ’s variety: no two days are alike.

ThereÂ’s significant freedom of choice.

It affords the opportunity to effect change across the organization.

ConÂ’sIt requires significant tolerance for politics.

It requires significant tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty.

ThereÂ’s a lot of responsibility, but little or no affordability.

You may feel Â“disconnectedÂ” from your technical discipline and prior work
experiences.

You may be perceived as not having a Â“real job.Â”The advantages and disadvantages
of project management as outlined by Kerzner ( 2003:3) are:Potential
BenefitsIdentification of functional responsibilities to ensure all activities
is accounted for in the project.

Measurement of accomplishment against tasks.

Improved capability for future planning.

Identification of:oTime limits.

oMethodologyPotential BarriersProject complexity.

Special requirements and changes per customer.

Organizational restructuring.

Project risks.

Changes in technology.

Project management calls for the creation of a small organizational structure
Â– the project team. This team is often multifunctional and is representative
of the larger organization (Heerkins, 2000). For example, the project team may
consist of a data analyst from research, a customer service representative, a
person from finance and so forth. Also, as the learning team is your partners
in learning, the project team will be your partners throughout the project
management process. This process involves:Defining the goal of a project.

It is important to note that these activities within this process are iterative
in nature because there will be progressive elaboration on each activity
throughout the life cycle of the project. As the Project Management Institute
describes, Â“project management is the application of knowledge, skills and
techniques to project activities to meet project requirements (2000:6).Â” In
summary, project management is an emerging profession that is both art and
science which follows processes to bring about the successful completion of a
project.

Project Management ReviewProject Management depends on a project team that
is:Cross-functional and diverse in experience and expertise.

Representative of the larger organization.

Motivated to bring the project to a conclusion.

Project Management is:An art and a science.

The planning, scheduling and controlling project activities.

The measurement of accomplishment against goals and requirements.

An emerging profession with the goal to bring projects to completion on time
and within the budget.

SummaryThis lecture has covered both projects and project management. It will
give you a basis for understanding the complexities, challenges and
opportunities of the project management process. This lecture was developed to
help you in: 1) recognizing projects, 2) developing an understanding of project
management 3) and recognizing the project management process.